


Day 2

by PhoenixSavant



Series: Jumin's Story [3]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, From Jumin's perspective, MC/Jumin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 03:55:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20333647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixSavant/pseuds/PhoenixSavant
Summary: Jumin has a rough day, with an unexpected source of comfort in the new MC.





	Day 2

Morning:

Jumin turned his phone over. He’d already switched it to silent mode for the night, but the blinking light alerted him to an incoming phone call. His eyebrow lifted when he saw that it was MC calling. Without hesitating further, he answered the call. 

“What are you doing at this hour?” the familiar voice asked without introduction.

“Same could be said of you. I hope it’s not because something bad has happened. Now that my work is over, I was just taking a break. I plan to go to bed soon.” He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. Today had lasted a few more hours than he had intended, and his eyes itched.

“What do you think about before going to sleep?” she asked.

_“Hmm, is she having trouble sleeping? Is that why she calls so late?”_ He decided to try to give her a helpful response. With the suggestion that thinking about nothing was best, he admitted that his mind wandered over his day when he first tried to rest. Before he could stop himself, he mentioned missing someone.

_“The event of MC arriving in the chat seems to have dredged up so many memories of Rika.”_ A twinge of loneliness plucked at his heart. 

“Yes, I have someone I miss. I rarely form relations, but when I do, I cherish them greatly,” he admitted. Startled to find himself becoming so nostalgic with a relative stranger, Jumin redirected the conversation. “When do you plan to go to bed?”

He didn’t wait for an answer before explaining that the next morning would arrive all too soon. With a brief apology for cutting the conversation short, he ended the call.

Jumin pressed his lips together in a frown. Rika had been an unexpected friend. She always seemed to understand him so well when they spoke. Since her death, V had often been absent. It was as if he’d lost both of his friends that day. Being alone had never been a struggle for Jumin, but being lonely and missing someone were still new, uncomfortable emotions. He pulled his frown into a smile as he looked over at Elizabeth the 3rd, sleeping comfortably in a nearby chair. What a wondrous gift she’d been to his life, easing the loneliness he could never entirely defeat.

A scant two hours later, he sat up in bed and scratched the back of his neck. What had brought him out of his sleep? Ah, yes, his alarm had been set. He tapped the screen, silencing the plaintive beeping. As if of their own accord, his fingertip moved to the RFA app. The only person online was MC. Had she ever gone to sleep? 

**“You’re still awake?” **he asked.

**“Hello, Jumin,”** she replied.

_“Well, that seems calm enough. Whatever is keeping her up isn’t anything dangerous,”_ he thought with a sense of relief. 

Having been greeted, he felt he should find some topic of conversation. The possibility of a party was an acceptable option. He chatted with her until Elizabeth rolled over onto her back with a sleepy chirp. 

**“Do you like cats?”** he asked. As soon as MC confessed that she did, he shared a picture of Elizabeth, stretched beside him, looking as beautiful as ever. 

**“You must really cherish her. Is there a particular reason?”**

Jumin cocked his head to the side. There was, indeed, a reason; one tied to the feelings of loneliness. In fact, it seemed to him that the reason he cherished Elizabeth the 3rd so much was tied to her ability to ease the loneliness that had intruded into his thoughts earlier. Still, he’d only begun speaking with MC and the importance of his companion in his life was too personal to discuss with such a brief acquaintance.

He sidestepped the question and instead discussed what a relief it was to be able to leave her with Assistant Kang when he had to take a business trip. When he described his hope of being able to start a business that would allow him to have Elizabeth the 3rd at the office, he was pleased to see MC respond favorably. Few people understood that it was less about being obsessed with cat-related businesses, and more about not having to leave her alone anymore. 

Discussing Elizabeth reminded him of a group he wanted to invite to the party. First, he checked that MC had already been made aware of her role in that regard. With her confirmation, he suggested an organization he knew of which worked to aid and protect feral cats. 

**“That’s a good idea!”** MC responded, bringing a smile and twitch of excitement to Jumin.

He sighed wistfully at Elizabeth’s sleeping form. 

**“I must get ready for work,”** he typed. The sense of regret at being forced to part from Elizabeth again swept through his thoughts. 

**“I’m sure it must be tough to say goodbye to Elizabeth the 3rd. Cheer up ^^”** MC encouraged. 

After he ended his chat with MC, Jumin placed his phone back on the nightstand. How long had it been since someone had offered such a simple, yet complete understanding of his emotions? Had anyone ever truly done so, other than Elizabeth? 

He showered, musing the potential outcomes of meeting someone who could understand his affection for Elizabeth the 3rd. He dressed for work, and as if she knew he was about to leave, Elizabeth began rubbing on his legs.

“Now, now, dear, I know. It’s unpleasant to have to say goodbye, but I must.” 

She chirped at him and made another pass around his ankles, rubbing the side of her head against him. 

“You’ll make me late for work again, you know. No one understands why, and I’m sure they all think me unbalanced because of it, but you’re making it impossible for me to leave,” he explained with affection. On impulse, he sent a message to MC.

**“Elizabeth the 3rd must not want to part with me. She’s rubbing her body all over my leg.”**

**“I want to meet Elizabeth the 3rd too.”** MC replied. 

Jumin smiled happily. “I do think we shall have to arrange a meeting for you and MC,” he said to the purring feline at his feet. He sent a response, letting MC know he appreciated her enthusiasm. Though he couldn’t eliminate the smile she’d brought to his face, he still knew there was sadness in it when he bid Elizabeth the 3rd farewell and headed out to begin his day. 

Afternoon:

Jumin tapped his fingertip against his desk, lost in thought. When his phone rang and he saw it was MC calling again, he answered happily, glad to speak again with this fellow lover of cats. 

“Perfect timing. I was just thinking about something.” He explained that he’d left his office and when he returned, his notepad had changed location. Obviously, someone must have moved it, but who? Assistant Kang wouldn’t have, she knew better. Rambling on, he remembered a new assistant had been introduced that morning. Also, there was too much water in the vase on his desk. It seemed others couldn’t tell the measurements of things without a tool to do so, but he could tell at a glance. Too much water in the plant would cause it to rot, also; something he did not want to see in his office. 

“Do things get worked out once you tell Jaehee?” MC asked.

“They do. I have more than one assistant, but Assistant Kang is the only one I speak to. She’s in charge of the others.” Jumin’s gaze refused to release the offending vase. “I tend to take care of things as soon as I think of them,” he explained before bidding MC farewell. 

He pressed a button and summoned Assistant Kang, quickly explaining about the vase and the moved notebook. It was a relief to have someone in the office who understood that his insistence on certain things had reasons. Assistant Kang did not like Elizabeth, but he had to admit, he’d have nothing but trouble in the office without her. 

A few hours later, Jumin took advantage of a pause in his schedule to check what was happening in the chat room. He had only been online for 1.6 minutes when MC arrived, greeting him quickly.

Yoosung shared a picture of his lunch that made Jumin happy he’d eaten already. It might have ruined his appetite otherwise. 

**“So that’s what commoners in college eat for lunch?”** he asked with a wry chuckle. It amused him to call the others “commoners,” when they made such a point of teasing him about his wealth and status. 

**“Yes, Mr. CEO.” **

**“I can see your tremendous will to put as many side dishes as you can on that one steel plate,”** he remarked, continuing his playful responses. 

The banter continued until Yoosung brought up Luciel’s expensive cars. The instant Jumin estimated the cost of insurance for them, Jaehee changed the subject. Had he gone too far? Hmm, perhaps so. Some people did not appreciate their wages being discussed openly. 

He read back through the messages, glad to see that the newcomer who had been so appreciative of Elizabeth the 3rd was declared to be above suspicion by Luciel’s research. She still seemed uneasy, but this was to be expected. Having been thrust into their midst had surely been unsettling. 

Jumin tried to assuage MC’s uncertainty by expressing how deeply he trusted V. When the conversation turned to the possibility of Luciel working in unsavory, bug-infested conditions, Jumin smirked to himself. 

**“Why don’t you send some exterminators for pest control?”** he suggested to his assistant. 

**“I do not have time,” **she answered quickly, failing to catch his humor. 

He rolled his eyes though when Yoosung announced having found a roach in his apartment. “That young man needs to turn off the computer and take better care of himself and his surroundings,” Jumin muttered to his empty office. 

Apparently, Jaehee had reached the end of her patience with the topic as well and brought up again that she felt there was a gap between herself and “a corporate CEO.” 

Jumin huffed to see her weak attempt at not naming him directly, but when Yoosung told her to cheer up, he asked, **“Cheer up for what?”**

**“I wasn’t saying much. I was only saying that I get many thoughts watching your life as a completely normal person whose only option is to save money.”**

**“Don’t belittle yourself just because you are normal. Father always emphasized that saving and the right investment is the foundation for profit.” **He wondered if the others thought he had no need to save money. He had wealth, thanks to the efforts of his father, but if he simply spent without saving or investing, he’d be left with nothing; just as everyone would be. 

**“I guess businessmen really do think differently.”**

**“How nice of you to understand,”** he answered. MC continued to improve his estimation of her. First, she appreciated cats, then understood his fondness for Elizabeth the 3rd, and now she grasped that he had simply been taught to think differently. 

Jaehee suggested a guest for the party, a man known for his skills in savings strategies. MC agreed quickly, but Jumin felt his eyes narrow as Jaehee took one final dig at him for being wealthy stating that the proposed guest would be helpful for all but himself. Sometimes he didn’t pay any attention to her veiled resentment, but today it irked him somehow. He couldn’t rebuke her for her comments though. Truth be told, he preferred her honesty. Time must have passed quickly once again, as it seemed to when he was speaking with MC. It was time to leave the chat and go to a meeting. 

**“Good luck, Jumin!”**

He tilted his head to the side in surprise. **“This is nothing out of the ordinary, so I don’t really need the luck, but thanks.” **

**“We must hurry,”** Jaehee urged.

Thinking his last comment perhaps too dismissive, Jumin lingered just long enough to wish MC a good day and say goodbye properly. He stood, gathering his papers and headed off to the afternoon meeting.

Throughout the meetings, Jumin’s mind continued to wander back to MC. He wondered if she were safe, eating well, and taking care of herself. When a break presented the opportunity, he called her. The moment he heard her voice, he felt quite foolish. “I called just to see how you are doing. You sound fine so I guess I can hang up,” he commented, wishing he hadn’t called. 

“Did you eat?” MC asked.

_“How odd, we discussed that I had when we were in the chat room. Perhaps she’s merely being polite.”_ Jumin felt a smile tug at his lips. Well, if she wanted to stay on the phone, he still had a few minutes. He described how he’d learned about the benefits of vitamin D, but that it required exposure to the sun to create it. MC stopped responding. _“Of course she isn’t responding. What a dull thing to bring up.”_

Changing topics, he mentioned a sci-fi movie he’d seen but didn’t like it much. A man who burned in the sunlight was the main character, and the entire premise was poorly depicted. Luciel though, had been obsessed with it. Jumin chuckled as he described the ludicrous plot to develop a sunscreen that would bestow superhuman powers on its users. 

Before he knew it, Jaehee signaled him to return to the meeting. He bid a regretful farewell to MC and returned to his daily routine, his mood much improved.

The rest of the day devolved into a series of phone calls and contract reviews. Jumin appreciated this sort of work. The focus it required, the attention to detail, and the precision of the language satisfied something deep within himself. He sat up and stretched, correcting his posture after poring over a particularly lengthy set of documents. 

_“I wonder what MC is up to.”_ He stacked the papers neatly and took out his phone. A brief pause in work would refresh him. 

Zen immediately began his usual, distasteful behavior. Jumin couldn’t understand why Zen insisted on being like this, always antagonistic toward him. The worst Jumin did was tease the actor with photos of cats. That surely didn’t warrant such hostilities. 

Noting something, he remarked, **“Why do I feel like Assistant Kang is here every time I come?”**

**“It’s only a coincidence,”** she assured him before revealing that there was a way to see who was in the chat before logging in. Zen promptly laughed at Jumin for not seeing it. 

**“It took me a while to find it too.”** MC’s commiseration defused his irritation with Zen. 

Still, after checking the missed feature, he found himself wishing his assistant weren’t in the chat. He wanted to be free to talk to MC, without his assistant noting his every word and without feeling he should be working instead. 

**“Anyway, I guess you don’t really like me being here,” **she remarked. 

**“No, I don’t.”** He hoped MC wouldn’t think him rude for admitting the fact. Clarifying, he explained that her presence only served as a reminder of the work he was trying to escape. 

MC came to the rescue again, injecting calm into the building tension. **“If everyone just respects each other’s privacy, I don’t think there will be any problem.”**

Curious, he asked Jaehee about whether she liked him being in the chat, she fled the room, making up an excuse. This, of course, triggered more antagonism from Zen. _“When will I be able to simply have a moment to relax without this kind of treatment? If he keeps up, MC will think me a horrible person.”_ The bickering escalated, continuing until MC chimed in and suggested a truce between the two men. Despite her attempt to bring peace, Zen was clearly not ready to stop being insulting. Irritated to the point of no longer wishing to be present, Jumin logged out. 

He flipped a pen between his fingers, his eyes narrowed beneath his dark brows. Zen had never been a particular friend, but some days he really knew how to push Jumin’s buttons. Today was one of those, though it was hard to say why he’d been so successful at it this time. 

He opened the RFA app again and sent a message to MC. **“It’s becoming annoying how Zen picks at everything I do. Don’t you have any good ideas?”**

**“Just imagine you’re looking at a pretty cat when you talk to him!” **

Jumin laughed. Just like that, she’d turned his mood from irritation to amusement. MC was clearly someone with a unique talent. He typed up a humorous response and returned to his work, still chuckling under his breath at the images MC’s comment elicited. The rest of his day passed quickly after that.

Evening:

With the workday behind him, Jumin returned home and opened the chat again. He checked, relieved that neither his assistant nor Zen were present.

**“Hello. Today’s finally over,”** he said in greeting.

Luciel instantly asked a question. Looking for a clue to what might be asked, he scrolled back to see the younger man commenting that he wanted to mess with someone. “Oh, no, not tonight,” he chuckled before calling attention to the fact. He started to laugh again as Luciel tried to blame MC, but the sound died on his lips when he saw the question.

**“Jumin, do you like girls? Or not?”**

How many tabloids had speculated about his sexual preferences? How many people had been rude enough to ask? Just because he didn’t date a string of women like his father, it had to mean something other than the fact that he was not interested in meaningless relationships? The humor fell before the rising tide of anger.

He more than appreciated MC standing up for him and telling Luciel he was being rude, but there was nothing for it now. He was angry and wanted nothing so much as to be away from the invasive behavior targeted at him. He left the chat and went to find Elizabeth. 

“This is what I get for not greeting you immediately when I return home, my dear,” he complained, stroking her fur. “You would never be so rude or inconsiderate, would you?” He pressed his face into her ruff and breathed into the softness of it. 

He led Elizabeth the 3rd to the kitchen and set her food down. While he watched her eating, his phone rang. MC was calling. It was to be expected, he’d left the room rather abruptly. 

He admitted that MC may not have realized just how sensitive the topic was, but it didn’t help his frame of mind when she asked if it was her or Jaehee. Rather than continue that vein of thought, he asked her, “Do you think you can own another person?” 

The moment the words came out he wondered at himself. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about how nice it might be if Elizabeth the 3rd could be a human, and still his pet, to ensure she’d never leave, but to ask so boldly and without any subject leading the topic to the surface was unlike him. 

Thankfully, MC didn’t take offense. She only said that rather than owning, she preferred the idea of sharing time. It was an interesting concept, and one he’d heard of before. Recognizing that he was still too annoyed to delve further, he asked MC to forget about Luciel’s absurd questioning and not bring it up again before excusing himself to rest. 

He made his way to the gym, taking out his frustrations at the day on the treadmill and punching bags there. It was bad enough to be viewed so crudely, but did everyone have to be so aggressive about their dislike of him? If not dislike, blatant disrespect from Luciel was as bad. He’d endured how much time being the butt of their jokes and disdain? And why? He’d never done anything to harm any of them. 

Showering after pushing his body to exhaustion, Jumin reminded himself that MC seemed to at least possess courtesy, and possibly actual appreciation for him. With V absent and Rika gone, he’d been alone against the others until now. True, he’d only been speaking to her for two days, but she had a way of relieving the irritating emotions the others clearly enjoyed inflicting upon him. 

He gave up worrying, gathering Elizabeth the 3rd before putting on a movie to watch. Just as he turned off the TV, his phone rang. It was late, yet again, and here was MC calling him. “I don’t think this young lady understands time,” he said to Elizabeth’s sleeping face in his lap. He answered the call, chatting briefly about electronic gift cards before his furry mistress lifted her head and mewed a complaint.

“We’re disrupting Elizabeth’s rest. I should go,” he explained before bidding her goodnight. 


End file.
